§ 3. Mr. DAYasked the Under-secretary of State for India whether he has received any reply from the Government of India with reference to the suggestion brought to their notice as to the advisability of issuing a statement of their policy with regard to the suspension and remissions of land revenue in the Jubblepore district, in Chota-Nagpur, and other parts of Bengal on account of the failure of the rabi crops in these districts and the consequent distress; and whether he has received any further information regarding the decision of the malguzars to forgo the rents due to them?
§ Sir FRANK MEYEROn a point of Order. This question contains a word which is not part of the English language and is not generally known to Members. May I ask whether questions should not be so framed as to be comprehensible to Members of the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERTo what word does the hon. Baronet refer?
§ Sir F. MEYERTo the word "malguzars."
§ Mr. SPEAKERMy knowledge of the language is not sufficient to enable me to express an opinion.
§ Earl WINTERTONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negation. No information has been received regarding the decision of the malguzars. In the three northern districts of the Central Provinces affected by scarcity, suspensions of land revenue, rents and cesses have been granted estimated at approximately Rs. 13,00,000. I will place in the Library copy of a communiqué issued by the Government of Bengal regarding scarcity in parts of certain districts of that province, and the measures taken to deal with it.
§ Mr. DAYIs this word correctly stated in the question as malguzars, and, if so, can the noble Lord inform the House exactly what they are?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe word is correctly stated. It would take a somewhat more lengthy explanation than is customary at present fully to inform the House what the position of these people is, but in a word I might generally say they are in the position of landlords.
§ Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEIs the appropriate word not mulguzzars?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe hon. Gentleman is a better hand at the pronunciation of foreign words than I am, but I think we may accept the pronunciation given by the hon. Gentleman who asked the question.